Parachutist Badge (United States)

The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. Some services, such as the Marine Corps, officially refer to it as an insignia instead of a badge. The United States Space Force and United States Coast Guard are the only branches that do not award the Parachutist Badge, but their members are authorized to receive the Parachutist Badges of other services in accordance with their prescribed requirements. The DoD military services are all awarded the same Military Parachutist Badge. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force issue the same Senior and Master Parachutist Badges while the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps issue the Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia to advanced parachutists. The majority of the services earn their Military Parachutist Badge through the U.S. Army Airborne School.

Parachutist Badge
Military Parachutist Badge
Type	Badge
Awarded for	Airborne training course
Presented by	United States Armed Forces
Status	Currently awarded
Last awarded	Currently awarded
Total awarded posthumously	86
Senior Parachutist Badge Master Parachutist Badge Naval Parachutist Insignia Additional grades of U.S. military parachutist badges
Army Precedence
Next (higher)	Expert Field Medical Badge
Next (lower)	Parachute Rigger Badge[1]

Army

The Army's Parachutist Badge is awarded to all military personnel of any service who complete the US Army Basic Airborne Course at Fort Moore, Georgia. It signifies that the soldier is a trained military parachutist, and is qualified to participate in airborne operations. The badge and its sew-on equivalent may be worn on the Army Combat Uniform (ACU).^[2]

Original sketch for the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge, by William P. Yarborough (Patent #134963)^[3]

The original Army Parachutist Badge was designed in 1941 by Captain (later Lieutenant General) William P. Yarborough and approved by the Department of War in March of that year. The Parachutist Badge replaced the "Parachutist Patch" which had previously been worn as a large patch on the side of a paratrooper's garrison cap. LTG Yarborough also designed the Senior and Master Parachutist Badges and the addition of stars to portray the number of combat jumps. The airborne background trimming that is worn behind the badge of those assigned to airborne units is also a contribution of Yarborough.^[3]

The Senior and Master Parachutist Badges were authorized in 1949.^[4]

Parachutist Badge

To be eligible for award of the Parachutist Badge, a person must have completed the Basic Airborne Course of the Airborne School of the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Moore, Georgia. To graduate, a student must complete the three-phase course consisting of a ground phase, a tower phase, and a jump phase. By the end of the course, a student will have completed five jumps in varying jump configurations, from a "Hollywood" jump all the way to a full combat load jump at night.^[1]

Senior Parachutist Badge

To be eligible for the Senior Parachutist Badge, a person must have been rated excellent in character and efficiency and have met the following requirements:

1. Participated in a minimum of 30 jumps including 15 jumps with combat equipment to consist of normal TOE equipment including individual weapon carried in combat whether the jump was in actual or simulated combat. In cases of simulated combat the equipment will include water, rations (actual or dummy), ammunition (actual or dummy), and other essential items necessary to sustain an individual in combat. Two night jumps must also be made during the hours of darkness (regardless of time of day with respect to sunset) one of which will be as jumpmaster of a stick. In addition, two mass tactical jumps which culminate in an airborne assault problem with either a unit equivalent to a battalion or larger; a separate company battery; or an organic staff of regimental size or larger. The soldier must fill a position commensurate with his or her rank or grade during the problem.
2. Either graduated from the Jumpmaster Course of the Airborne Department of the Infantry School or from the Jumpmaster School of a separate airborne battalion or larger airborne unit, or infantry divisions and separate infantry brigades containing organic airborne elements (e.g. the United States Army Alaska (USARAK) or the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Jumpmaster Course), or served as jumpmaster on one or more combat jumps or as a jumpmaster on 15 noncombat jumps.
3. Have served on jump status with an airborne unit or other organizations authorized parachutists for a total of at least 24 months.^[1]

Master Parachutist Badge

To be eligible for the Master Parachutist Badge, a person must have been rated excellent in character and efficiency and have met the following requirements:

1. Participated in a minimum of 65 jumps including 25 jumps with combat equipment to consist of normal TOE equipment, including individual weapon carried by the individual in combat whether the jump was in actual or simulated combat. In cases of simulated combat the equipment will include water rations (actual or dummy), ammunition (actual or dummy), and other essential items necessary to sustain an individual in combat. Four night jumps must also be made during the hours of darkness, one as jumpmaster of a stick. Five mass tactical jumps must be made which culminate in an airborne assault problem with a unit equivalent to a battalion or larger; a separate company/battery; or an organic staff of regimental size or larger. The person must fill a position commensurate with their rank or grade during the problem.
2. Either graduated from the Jumpmaster Course of the Airborne Department of the Infantry School or the Jumpmaster School of a separate airborne battalion or larger airborne unit, or infantry divisions and separate infantry brigades containing organic airborne elements, including the U.S. Army Alaska Jumpmaster Course, or served as jumpmaster on one or more combat jumps or as jumpmaster on 33 noncombat jumps.
3. Have served on jump status with an airborne unit or other organization authorized parachutists for a total of 36 months (may be non-consecutive).

The 25 combat equipment jumps necessary to qualify for the Master Parachutist Badge must be from a static line.^[1]

The master parachutist badge is 1+1⁄2 inches (38 mm) wide at the widest part of the wings and 1+13⁄64 inches (31 mm) from the top of the wreath to the bottom of the parachute where the risers meet in a point.

Accoutrements

A Parachutist Badge from a WWII veteran with the 506th Parachute Infantry—as indicated by the background trimming—who made two combat jumps—as indicated by the two jump devices (stars) on the badge.

Soldiers assigned to Army units on airborne status wear a cloth oval, known as airborne background trimming, underneath their Parachutist Badge, which are uniquely designed for each airborne unit.^[5][6] This distinguishes a parachute-qualified soldier serving in a unit on active jump status, called a "Paratrooper," from a parachutist serving in a non-airborne unit. The original airborne background trimming was also a contribution of Captain Yarborough, who attempted to address a concern that the Parachutist Badge was too small and did not stand out on the uniform.^[5] Today, each unit's airborne background trimming design is created and approved by The Institute of Heraldry, which evaluates unit lineage, military heraldry, and proposed designs by the requesting unit.^[7]

A parachutist who completes an airborne jump into a combat zone is authorized to wear a combat jump device on their Parachutist Badge, turning it into a Combat Parachutist Badge. The device consists of a star or arrangements of stars, indicating the number of combat jumps (up to five) conducted by the paratrooper.^[8] The use of stars as combat jump devices gained official approval after the 1983 invasion of Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury). The stars are awarded as follows:^[9][10]

1 combat jump	A bronze star on the shroud lines
2 combat jumps	A bronze star on each wing
3 combat jumps	A bronze star on each wing and one on the shroud lines
4 combat jumps	Two bronze stars on each wing
5 + combat jumps	A large gold star on the shroud lines

Air Force

Like the Army, the Air Force issues the same parachutist badges in the same three degrees (Basic, Senior, & Master) but have different criteria for the awarding of these badges. The level of degree is determined by the number of jumps the wearer has successfully completed, years of service on jump status, and other requirements as specified by AFI 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Badges.^[11] Additionally Airmen who have earned the Parachutist Badge while serving as members of a sister branch then transferred to the U.S. Air Force are allowed to continue wear of the badge without having to requalify.^[12]

USAF Parachutist Badges from 1956–1963

Basic Badge

Senior Badge

Master Badge

In 1956 the Air Force began issuing a unique Basic, Senior, and Master Parachutist Badges. These parachutist badges were modeled after the Air Force's Medical Badges. Due to popular demand, the Air Force decided to revert to issuing the Army style parachutist badges in 1963.^[13]

Parachutist Badge

The Parachutist Badge may be awarded following completion of basic parachute training through a designated Air Force Air-Ground Training Program. Air Force personnel generally earn the Military Parachutist Badge either through the Army's Airborne School at Fort Benning, or the United States Air Force Academy's AM-490 freefall parachute training course taught by AETC's 98th Flying Training Squadron.^[11]

Senior Parachutist Badge

The Senior Parachutist Badge consists of the Military Parachutist Badge with a star atop the parachute. Awarded for 30 static line jumps with a minimum of 24 months of cumulative time on jump status. The 30 jumps must include:^[14]

1. Two jumps during the hours of darkness
2. Fifteen jumps with operational equipment IAW AFI 11-410
3. Actually perform one night jump as a Primary JM (PJM)
4. Seven jumps performing as PJM

Master Parachutist Badge

The Master Parachutist Insignia consists of the Senior Parachutist Badge with a star centered within the wreath. Awarded for 65 static line jumps with a minimum of 36 months of cumulative time on jump status. The 65 jumps must include:^[14]

1. Four jumps during the hours of darkness
2. Twenty-five jumps with operational equipment IAW AFI 11-410
3. Two night jumps performing PJM duties
4. Fifteen jumps performing as PJM

Navy and Marine Corps

The United States Navy and Marine Corps issue parachutist insignia in two degrees: the Military Parachutist Badge, also called the Basic Parachutist Insignia (the same badge that's awarded to all DoD military services), and the Naval or Navy/Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia. Parachutist insignia is available to personnel who perform qualifying airborne jumps as a:^[15][16]

• Static-Line Parachute Jumper,
• Military Free-Fall Parachute Jumper, and
• High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) Parachute Jumper (used for premeditated personnel parachute (P3) operations).

Training is accomplished by successful completion of the prescribed course of instruction while attending the:^[15][16]

• U.S. Army Airborne School,
• Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course, or
• other training certified by Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET) or approved by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).

Military Parachutist Insignia

The right to wear the Military Parachutist Insignia is based on the completion of prescribed training defined in OPNAVINST 3501.225 and MCO 3120.11:^[16] The Marine Corps refers to it as the Basic Parachutist Insignia.^[16]

When a US Navy enlisted member initially qualifies as a static line parachutist, an entry shall be made on NAVPERS 1070/613 (commonly referred to as a "Page 13" entry) of the US Navy enlisted service record indicating the date of qualification, type(s) of aircraft in which qualified, and unit at which the training was received. Navy enlisted members are authorized the parachutist (PJ) designator added to their rating.^[16]

A qualified static-line parachute jumper who successfully completes the prescribed program of instruction while attending a formal, interservice training facility including a minimum of 10 military free-fall parachute jumps, at least 2 of which must have been conducted carrying full combat equipment (1 day/1 night), may qualify. Navy enlisted members are authorized the military free-fall parachutist (FPJ) designator added to their rating.^[16]

When a US Navy officer initially qualifies as a static line parachutist, the additional qualification designator (AQD) of BT1 will be entered into the officer's record by their detailer (NAVPERS). Free-fall qualification will result in an AQD of BT2.^[16]

For both Static Line and Military Free Fall Parachutist qualified personnel, a service record entry shall also indicate whether or not the member is HALO-qualified.^[16]

The Military Parachutist Badge is a prerequisite for the Special Warfare Badge since parachutist training is an integral part of the Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) program. SEAL personnel generally do not wear the Basic badge once they earn their Special Warfare insignia, but will wear their Naval Parachutist Badge in addition to the Special Warfare Badge, the latter nicknamed the "Budweiser" badge. Navy EOD technicians are generally also jump qualified with a number of them also being qualified in military free-fall (HALO/HAHO). Currently, due to a recent change, newly pinned Navy EOD technicians are required to attend the U.S. Army's Basic Airborne School upon graduation. As well, a number of SWCC personnel earn the Military Parachutist Badge in conjunction with their assignment to a Special Boat Team detachment that uses the Maritime Craft Air Delivery System (MCADS). This enables them to drop small watercraft and their crews from C-130 aircraft.^[16]

Naval Parachutist Insignia

The Naval or Navy/Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia (originally issued as U.S. Navy Certified Parachute Rigger wings) is a gold-colored embroidered or metal insignia depicting an open parachute with outstretched wings. It is authorized for officers and enlisted personnel who were awarded the Military Parachutist Badge and, under competent orders, have completed at least five more static-line or P3 jumps, including: a combat equipment day jump, two combat equipment night jumps, and employ at least two types of military aircraft.^[16]

The original Certified Parachute Rigger badge was designed by American Insignia Company in 1942 for graduates of the U.S. Navy Parachute Rigger School. During WWII, U.S. Marine Corps paratroopers issued the silver U.S. Military Parachutist Badge commonly wore—against regulations—the gold "Rigger wings" because the believed it looked better on their uniform.^[17] In July 1963, Commander of United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Bruce F. Meyers asked Chief of Naval Operations Admiral George W. Anderson Jr. via Marine Corps Commandant General David M. Shoup to officially make the Navy Parachute Rigger Badge the Naval Parachutist Badge for the Navy and Marine Corps. The request was approved by Anderson on 12 July 1963 in BuPers Notice 1020.^[18] Originally, the badge was worn upon graduation from Navy PR school, but since 1963 being a certified parachute rigger, survival equipmentman, and graduate of the U.S. Navy Parachute Rigger is no longer a requirement to earn the badge. Currently, the Naval Parachutist Insignia only requires the completion of the minimum five additional jumps in a jump billet, but service members can request to attend Navy Parachute Rigger School for further training and specialized occupational duties such as Special Operations Parachute Rigger (SOPR) who work within Navy SEAL teams and Naval Special Warfare and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units throughout the world.

Military Freefall Parachutist Badges

Main article: Military Freefall Parachutist Badge

Military Freefall Parachutist Badge

Master Military Freefall Parachutist Badge

Qualified Army and Air Force personnel may go on to earn the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge in special operations training for High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) jumps. HALO/HAHO training is conducted by the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School of the US Army Special Operations Command, on behalf of the US Special Operations Command. It is awarded in two degrees: Basic and Master. To earn the basic badge, the jumper must have graduated from Army Airborne School and the Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course.^[19] To earn the master badge, jumpers must have graduated from Army Airborne School, Army Jumpmaster School, Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course, and the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course.^[20]

As with the Army's Parachutist Badges, Army parachutists that have earned one of the Military Freefall Parachutist Badges are also eligible to earn Combat Jump Devices.^[1][10][21]

See also

• List of known U.S. combat parachute jumps
• Aircrew survival equipmentman
• Parachutist Badge
• Air Assault Badge
• Glider Badge
• Pathfinder Badge
• Blood wings

References

1. U.S. Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, Official Department of the Army Regulation, dated 11 December 2006, revised 15 September 2011, last accessed 4 October 2011
2. Army Directive 2011-11, Change to Wear of the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) Items Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Secretary of the Army, 13 June 2011, last accessed 18 February 2013
3. Research Center, Parachute Badge History, U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, last updated 30 December 2015, last accessed 15 April 2022
4. Dorr, Robert F. "U.S. Army Airborne Badges Developed Over Time". Defense Media Network. Faircount Media Group. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
5. Lanham, Howard G. (2001). "Insignia of Airborne Units U.S. Army". American Military Patches, Other Insignia and Decorations of World War Two. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
6. "Beret Flashes and Background Trimmings". The Institute of Heraldry. United States Department of the Army. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
7. FAQs – Organizational Insignia, Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 31 January 2022
8. Qualification Badges, Parachutists Badges, The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, last accessed 16 April 2022
9. U.S. Army Parachute Badge, U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, last accessed 18 February 2013
10. "Department of the Army Pamphlet 670–1, Uniform and Insignia Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia", Department of the Army, dated 26 January 2021, last accessed 6 December 2022
11. AFI 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Badges Archived 12 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Air Force Instructions, dated 13 December 2010, last accessed 11 January 2014
12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. Obsolete USAF Insignia Archived 2 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, USAF Flag Ranks website, last accessed 1 June 2012
14. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
15. U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Instruction 3501.225, U.S. Navy Airborne Operations Program, dated 20 March 2020, last accessed 9 November 2021
16. U.S. Marine Corps Order 3120.11, U.S. Marine Corps Parachuting Policy and Program Administration, dated 17 December 2014, last accessed 9 November 2021
17. Mason, Chris (2004). Paramarine!: Uniforms and Equipment of Marine Corps Parachute Units in World War II. Schiffer Pub Ltd. pp. 175–177. ISBN 9780764319242.
18. "Evolution of Naval Wings" (PDF). Coast Guard Aviation History. THE U.S. COAST GUARD AVIATION ASSOCIATION. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
19. MFFPC ATRRS Information Changes, U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 22 April 2017
20. Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course (MFFJMC), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 22 April 2017
21. Hitting the ground with coalition partners; Special Warfare Magazine; Valume 21, Issue 6; dated November–December 2008, last accessed 17 February 2013

External links